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life is something we doodlee-doo. . . at home , at school, out in the worldWed, 05 Aug 2015 22:01:07 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.13How to Make an Easy Stuffed Dinosaur: Kid Friendly Projectshttp://waddleeahchaa.com/2014/02/19/how-to-make-an-easy-stuffed-dinosaur-kid-friendly-projects/
http://waddleeahchaa.com/2014/02/19/how-to-make-an-easy-stuffed-dinosaur-kid-friendly-projects/#commentsWed, 19 Feb 2014 23:01:08 +0000http://waddleeahchaa.com/?p=14670

One of my missions here at waddlee-ah-chaa is to highlight educational toys that inspire children to explore, create and think. A few weeks ago MacGyver reminded me of an important lesson. Simple art supplies (and free time to play and explore) are the best educational toys on the market!

At the conclusion of homeschool each day, my children are set free to play! Absolutely no structured play activities. They know they are on their own to create their own after school fun. The majority of their days are spent outside rolling in the grass with the dogs, hunting for creepy critters and building forts.

This winter we have experienced an unusual number of cold dreary weather days. Additionally, we have all suffered severally from Cedar Fever, making it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors. (You’re asking . . . what in the world is Cedar Fever? It is a miserable time of the year when the cedar trees release huge clouds of pollen. You can actually see it in the air and it coats everything outdoors in a yellow dust. It is a nightmare!)

Indoor Playtime

Unfortunately for the kiddos, this has meant many days inside without outdoor playtime. Luckily, my kids are pretty darn self-sufficient when it comes to playtime.

One afternoon during indoor playtime, I found MacGyver at our dinning room table stitching away.

Dilophosaurus

He quickly snatched up a little felt dinosaur head to show off what he was making.

Wait, wait, wait . . . I need to get my camera . . .

How to Make An Easy Stuffed Dinosaur

(Compliments of MacGyver)

Sewing Kit and Supplies

Once upon a time, my mother was an avid sewer. She has a big stash of sewing junk. She kindly passed onto MacGyver old fabric, thread, needles, measuring tape and a pen cushion . For his dinosaur project, he confiscated the leftover felt from our Handmade Valentine Cards. That’s it, he was set.

Dinosaur Pattern

On the table in front of him, he had a pile of felt from which he had cut the dinosaur pattern pieces. Well actually he didn’t have a pattern. He just free handed cut each piece of the dinosaur. Hence, the nickname Edward Scissor Hands. I absolutely cannot take any credit for this talent!

Assemble and Stitch Together Each Piece of the Dinosaur Body

MacGyver cut 4 Pieces

2 side body pieces

1 back / spine piece

1 stomach / under body piece

2 blue tail pieces

Attach the Dinosaur Head

I will attempt to explain the dinosaur head. At this point MacGyver is way beyond my skills!

2 green head pieces

2 blue crest pieces

1 orange frill piece

2 googley eyes he found in a bucket of old buttons from Grandma.

Stuff and Viola! Behold a Dilophosaurus

Dilophosaurus facts Dictated by MacGyver

It’s name means two crested lizard.

It doesn’t actually have a frill. That is something Jurassic Park made up to make it more exciting and look more cool.

It cannot spit acid . . . more Jurassic Park embellishment.

It is about as big as a polar bear.

It is related to the Coelophysis

Important Lesson Once Again Learned by Mommy

Often the best educational toys are no toys at all and an abundance of junk and free time!

How do your children entertain themselves during their unstructured free time?

We’re GIVING AWAY one set of MAGFORMERS (8 pieces)

Why we love MAGFORMERS

After the kiddos fell in love with a small set of magnet tiles at a friends house, I began looking into similar building tiles.MAGFORMERS came out on top with the best reviews. Since I found them to be a bit pricey, I tucked the idea away for Christmas. After much research, Santa gifted the children a set of MAGFORMERS Magnetic Building Construction Set – 62 Piece Extreme FX Set. The children share the set and have played with them over and over again throughout the year. They are asking for another shared set this year. Having them share the set makes them a more affordable gift.

This Set of Triangles will give you a sample to test. But beware, I haven’t run into a child who doesn’t love building with these magnet blocks. You’ll need another set!

Connect Flat Shapes to Build 3-D Objects!

The set of 62 pieces comes with an Idea Booklet to get the kiddos started.

Connect Shapes on a Flat Surface

Pull from the top . . .

Pull . . .

Ta-dah . . .

A 3-D House

MAGFORMERS Freestyle Creations

Three story house with a pool.

I’m considering moving in! I want to take a swim in that flower pool!

A Police Action Boat

An Exoskeleton Robot . . .

With a control seat for the Lego man driver.

AnOcean Safe Zone . . .

Including a dolphin submarine that connects and disconnects from the “Safe Zone.”

Want to take a ride?

10 Things We Like about Magformers:

gender neutral

wide age range (we always get out these blocks when little ones come to visit)

the shapes always connect

magnets are completely encapsulated in the plastic

durable

encourages imaginative play

promotes problem solving when planning and building

teaches how to follow simple directions

geometric learning

NO batteries!

Things to Consider:

Purchase a larger set as 30 pieces really limits building and sharing.

Purchase a set with pentagons. It opens the door to more building options.

Do your research to find the set that gives you the most pieces for the best price.

Currently, the best set for the money I have found is the 62 piece Designer Set.

We’re GIVING AWAY one set of MAGFORMERS Triangles (8 pieces)

To enter this contest, use the Rafflecopter to answer the following question. After you leave a comment, you can move ahead with more entries.

Answer the following question in the comments section of this post.

Do you have your eye on any fun educational type toys? Please share! (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)

We’re GIVING AWAY one set of “tell me a story” cards by eeBoo

Why we love eeBoo:

All things eeBoo are my new favorite for kids games and gifts. eeBoo is not new; however, their products are sold in specialty toy shops. Hence, I had to wait to discover eeBoo until a specialty toy store opened in our small town. eeBoo is a family run business that creates well-made, family friendly games and toys that encourage parents to get down on the floor and play. eeBoo toys are fresh and contemporary and yet nostalgic at the same time. A quite wonderful combination.